Captain Marvel Continues To Dominate At The Box Office

Captain Marvel continues to be the No. 1 movie at the box office. According to box office figures from EW, the superhero film pulled in $69.3 million in the US and Canada this past weekend, keeping the film at the top of the box office charts. The $69.3 million, which is down 55 percent from its opening-weekend haul, now represents the 18th highest second-weekend in the history of movies.

There is a lot of space between Captain Marvel and the competition, as the animated film Wonder Park landed in the No. 2 position with $16 million. The No. 3 movie this past weekend was Five Feet Apart, which made $13.2 million.

Captain Marvel has now made $266.2 million in the US and Canada. Internationally, the film opened in Japan this weekend and made $5.6 million, which was good for No. 1 in Japan, and the highest opening for a standalone MCU character movie ever in the country.

The movie made a further $119.7 million from other international markets this weekend, boosting the movie’s global results to $760.2 million after just two weeks.

Captain Marvel reportedly cost $150 million to make, and it holds the record for the biggest opening-weekend in the history of film for a female-led movie on a global basis.

If you’ve seen the movie, you can check out our list of Captain Marvel Easter eggs and breakdown of the end-credits scenes. We also have a history of the Tesseract and much more for you to check out. If you want some more Captain Marvel content, you can also check out the origin of Talos, a key character in the film.

In other news, you can see more of Captain Marvel in the new Avengers: Endgame trailer that you can see in the embed above.

March 15-17 US/Canada Box Office:

  1. Captain Marvel — $69.3 million
  2. Wonder Park — $16 million
  3. Five Feet Apart — $13.2 million
  4. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World — $9.3 million
  5. Tyler Perry’s A Madea Family Funeral — $8.1 million
  6. No Manches Frida 2 — $3.9 million
  7. Captive State — $3.2 million
  8. Lego Movie 2: The Second Part — $2.1 million
  9. Alita: Battle Angel — $1.9 million
  10. Green Book –$1.3 million

Top New Game Releases On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Week — March 17-23 2019

March is packed with video games to wade through, and this week’s episode of New Releases is all about carving a path through them. You can slash through tough bosses in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, take on whole armies in Fate/Extella Link, navigate dark corridors in Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy, and conquer obstacle courses in American Ninja Warrior Challenge. Don’t worry, dinosaur fans: Turok comes to Nintendo Switch this week too.

Turok — March 18

Available on: Switch

No Caption Provided

The Nintendo 64 classic is coming to Nintendo’s newest console, and it looks much prettier on modern hardware (it’s already out on Xbox One). New coat of paint aside, you’ll still take control of the titular warrior Turok and battle dinosaurs that have ripped through the fabric of time. Crazy weapons like the Plasma Pulse Rifle and Atomic Fusion Cannon await.

Fate/Extella Link — March 19

Available on: PS4, Vita, PC, Switch

No Caption Provided

This sequel picks up right where Fate/Extella: The Umbral Star left off. You’ll still be battling through hordes of evil soldiers, but you’ll do so with 16 new playable servants. You can get to know them in the flying castle that serves as your base of operations, and you can deal out massive damage in battles by teaming up for Chain Phantasm attacks.

American Ninja Warrior Challenge — March 19

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, Switch

No Caption Provided

This is the first video game adaptation of the hit TV show, featuring all the same obstacles and even the same commentators. You can customize your own warrior and take on classic challenges like the Jumping Spider and Warped Wall. This action game sports local multiplayer too.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy — March 20

Available on: PS4, Switch

No Caption Provided

Navigating a dungeon isn’t anything new for the Final Fantasy series, but the way you do it in Every Buddy is quite different. Obstacles and enemies only act when you take an action, whether that’s moving, attacking, or using an item. This quasi-turned-based style exploration opens up the door for all sorts of strategies.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — March 22

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

No Caption Provided

From Software brought us Dark Souls and Bloodborne, but Sekiro is something different. For one, everyone will play the same shinobi, who can grapple around the world with a special mechanical arm and actually revive after being killed. Sekiro also has no multiplayer, which means you’ll be taking on tough bosses all by your lonesome.

Further Reading:

March still has even more games on the horizon. Next week, New Releases will take another look at Yoshi’s Crafted World, plus some hot re-releases like Assassin’s Creed 3 on current consoles and Final Fantasy 7 on Switch.

Halo 5 Adds Pizza Skin And More After Halo: MCC Confirmed For PC

Halo developer 343 Industries has a pizza-themed gift for all Halo 5: Guardians players. Available now in the Xbox One shooter is the “Pizza Party” Req pack, which includes a pepperoni pizza-themed weapon skin, Last Slice, as well as the Hot Pie banner.

Why pizza? The studio originally teased Halo: The Master Chief Collection for PC, which has now been confirmed, by referencing pepperoni pizza. When the game was officially announced for PC last, excited fans sent pizzas to 343’s offices. They sent so many pizzas that 343 had to plead with fans to please stop sending pizzas.

The pizza skin for the Halo 5 Assault Rifle looks pretty slick. Check out the video above to see it in action, while some images of the notifications and more can be seen below.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to PC, and it’ll be available on Steam in addition to the Windows Store. Additionally, Halo: Reach is coming to The Master Chief Collection on both Xbox One and PC.

No Caption ProvidedNo Caption Provided

In addition, a brand-new Halo game, Halo Infinite, is coming to Xbox One and PC. Microsoft is expected to talk more about this long-in-development titles at E3 in June.

A New Drake & Josh Show May Be On The Way

The classic Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh is one of the network’s most beloved programs, so fans have been understandably excited about rumours of a reboot. Now, Drake Bell himself has come forward to discuss what might be coming up next.

Bell told E! that he and co-star Josh Peck have been talking, and Peck has come up with “some cool ideas” for what to do with a new version of Drake & Josh. Bell added that neither he nor Peck want to do a reboot or a “college years”-type version of the show.

“It has to be something cool; it has to be something creative. I think we’ve come up with something that’s a little bit more creative and a little more exciting,” he said.

That’s all Bell had to say on the matter, which is to be expected given that the new show–if it is even a show–hasn’t been announced yet.

The original Drake & Josh aired on Nickelodeon from 2004 to 2007. Bell and Peck play stepbrothers who don’t see eye-to-eye on much, with Miranda Cosgrove starring as their sister, Megan. A source told People that the new version would be “more adult.”

The show was known for its wacky humour, and Bell–who is also a musician in real life–wrote the show’s theme song, “Found A Way.” According to People, the new version of Drake & Josh is being shopped around to multiple networks, though none were named.

Drake & Josh would be just the latest reboot–or whatever you want to call it–based on a Nickelodeon show. Nickelodeon is making new All That and Are You Afraid of the Dark shows, while Bell has also talked about the possibility of an Amanda Show reboot.

Would you be interested in a Drake & Josh reboot? Let us know in the comments below!

Netflix’s Fuller House Drops Lori Laughlin Amid College Scandal

It’s not just the Hallmark Channel that’s dropping actress Lori Laughlin amid the ongoing college bribery scandal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Laughlin won’t appear on the upcoming fifth season of Netflix’s popular family sitcom Fuller House.

Laughlin, who played Aunt Becky on the original Full House and portrayed her again in a guest-starring role on Fuller House, appeared in 13 of the new show’s 57 episodes.

The fifth season of Fuller House, which hasn’t started filming yet, is set to premiere on Netflix this fall. Sources told THR that the show’s production won’t be impacted by the drama surrounding Laughlin.

Laughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were among those indicted in a national college bribery scandal. She and Giannulli reportedly paid $500,000 to help get their daughters into the University of Southern California. Actress Felicity Huffman was also implicated in the scandal.

This is just the latest round of controversy surrounding Fuller House. In 2018, Warner Bros. TV, the production company behind Full House and Fuller House, fired creator Jeff Franklin in the wake of allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Microsoft Announces New Way To Play Halo Games Ahead Of Release

Microsoft has announced a brand-new testing program for the Halo series. The “Halo Inside Program,” as it’s called, is described by Microsoft as a “new way” for fans to work alongside developer 343 Industries to improve new releases by testing them before launch.

You can sign up right now, but be aware that doing so requires you to sign a confidentiality agreement. You’re then asked to take a survey with a series of questions related to your history with and interest in with the Halo franchise, including specific titles and modes. Later in the survey you’ll be asked to provide details that may get you into what 343 is calling “flighting” programs for upcoming Halo titles. These are pre-release testing periods in which 343 provides access to a subset of the community to gather feedback and data before rolling out publicly to everyone.

This new Halo Insider Program will replace the MCC Insider Program that 343 used to test Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s numerous updates on Xbox One. Going forward, the Halo Insider Program will be the overarching program going forward to support all Halo titles, products, and services.” Even if you were already a member of the MCC Insider Program, you will need to re-register for the for Halo Insider Program.

You can improve your chances of being selected for a flight by ensuring your Halo Insider Program information is correct. For PC specifically, you’ll need to provide a DXDIAG upload and send over your SteamID.

“We know everyone is super eager and excited to get started but please be patient– tweeting at the team and posting in the forums asking to be included or demanding to know why you’re not included won’t help the process,” 343 said.

Even if you do get into the Halo Insider Program, you might not get selected for each flight. For example, on PC, 343 might want to test future Halo releases against specific hardware configurations, so not everyone may be needed.

“With MCC on PC specifically, the team is going to need to ensure they have specific representation across a broad matrix of PC hardware configurations,” 343 said.

Those who get into a flight will want to make sure they participate, as 343 might not invite you back if you don’t.

“Often flights require a critical mass of players online at a particular time, and maybe in a particular region, so your location and availability could also come into play. Once flighting is up and running, the team will likely also focus on active participants who play and provide feedback as candidates for ongoing flighting while players who don’t actually participate may find they’re not included in subsequent releases.”

You can read more about the Halo Insider Program here in this detailed FAQ.

The upcoming release of Halo: MCC on PC will happen in stages, with each title releasing individually, so it seems likely that 343 will test each game with Halo Insider members first before rolling each title out widely to everyone. Looking further out, Microsoft has already confirmed that Halo Infinite will be playable early through flighting, so it seems the Halo Insider Program is returning for that game as well.

The Walking Dead: “Scars” Review

Warning: Full spoilers for the episode follow…

Following in the harrowing footsteps of Season 4’s “The Grove,” this week’s half-flashback episode, all about the morbid events that caused Michonne to close her heart – and Alexandria’s doors – to strangers, was a suspenseful and gruesome affair. It wasn’t rock solid, but it’s been a while since the show’s dabbled in extreme violence toward children (Carl doesn’t count as he’d aged out and was fair game) so there was a super harsh vibe here, which I dug. And what Michonne endured felt severe enough to, indeed, change her worldview for the years that followed.

It made sense to have Michonne get duped by a close childhood friend (played by True Blood/Queen Sugar’s Rutina Wesley), whom she obviously didn’t know had turned savage and sinister, but there still really wasn’t enough time to establish their previous relationship enough to make the betrayal feel shocking. Also, we knew going into this that bad s*** had gone down, so bitter betrayal was kind of the only option. If the episode had consisted of all flashbacks, we might have gotten a few more scenes with them to sell their past closeness.

Continue reading…

Suicide Squad Sequel Is A “Total Reboot,” Not Called Suicide Squad 2

More details have come to light about DC’s upcoming Suicide Squad sequel. Producer Peter Safran told Joblo that the sequel is a “total reboot,” so it shouldn’t be referred to as Suicide Squad. The name the studio is using is The Suicide Squad, though whether or not this is the final name or a working title remains unconfirmed.

“First of all, we don’t call it Suicide Squad 2 ’cause it’s a total reboot, so it’s The Suicide Squad and I think people should be extremely excited about it,” Safran said.

Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, who was recently re-instated for Vol. 3, will write and direct The Suicide Squad. Regarding the script, Safran said, “It’s everything you would hope from a James Gunn script and I think that says a lot and that promises a lot and I know that we will deliver a lot.”

The intriguing angle of this story is that, now that he’s back making Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Gunn is directing movies for both DC and Marvel. Safran said he and Gunn agree that the Marvel vs. DC rivalry is “absurd,” and everything is going to be just fine.

“You know what I love about James directing for both Marvel and DC is he has always espoused the view that that which unites comic book and superhero lovers is much greater than that which divides us,” Safran said. “Because, there’s always been this Marvel/DC rivalry, which he has said, and I agree, is absurd. There’s room for everybody and certainly that which unites us all is far greater than that which divides us, so hopefully they’ll see that you can be both a Marvel and a DC fan and the world won’t spin off its axis.”

It’s not exactly what what the description “total reboot” means for The Suicide Squad 2. What we do know is that Idris Elba will play Deadshot in the sequel, taking over the role from Will Smith.

The 2016 Suicide Squad received mixed reviews, but it was a massive commercial success. It made more than $746 million worldwide, and it won an Oscar for Makeup and Hairstyling.

The Suicide Squad comes to theatres in August 2021. A recent intriguing report says the film will add a number of characters from the DC Comics world, including Ratcatcher, King Shark, Polka-Dot Man, and Peacemaker.